Page 129 of Storm and Sea

“Fish, Marina. We eat fish. Actually, only me. Nyel and all the Mer in the bay are plant eaters only. I swear. You’ve seen the way Nyel picks all the meat out of his food.”

She nodded, though it was automatic.

“Marina,” Atreus squeezed her shaking hands. “You have the right to ask me anything right now.”

She swallowed hard but remained silent. It was so uncharacteristic of her that the hairs on his arms raised.

“If everyone knew—I couldn’t stay here. I’d have to go, and so would Nyel,” Atreus begged.

“So… nobody else knows.”

“Only you.”

Marina yanked her hands back, unable to bear touching him any longer. It was sudden, and her eyes widened as if she had only now realized what kind of monster sat in the room.

Atreus’s chest fell.

“Atreus, I— I need some time. To think.”

Or time to alert everyone else.

“Of course. Nyel and I will crash somewhere for a few days. We’ll come back to help with the Bayallon. Tell your dad we had some urgent news from family or something.”

She nodded. “Sure.”

With nothing left to say, Atreus stood to leave.

Marina’s tear-filled words stopped him. “Would you have told me eventually?”

Atreus said nothing as he looked at the human he’d come to cherish.

Marina took a shaky breath. “Would you have told me? If Nyel didn’t get wet and I didn’t see anything, would you have told me someday?”

Atreus knew the answer, and guilt ate away at him as he said it. “No.”

Marina nodded like she’d expected his answer. “Right.”

“I’ll see you later, Marina.” He forced a smile and stepped out of the room, out of the pescheria, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time. His heart sank when he realized that Marina had called him by his proper name.

Atreus never thought he’d wish to hear that awful nickname again. But as his feet sank into the white sandy beach, he wanted nothing more than for Marina to call him Atty.

Nyel paced the lighthouse’s circular room, back and forth, his bare feet taking him nowhere. He’d run his hands through his hair so many times it was a miracle it hadn’t fallen out. Alternate realities played on repeat in his mind. He should have been paying more attention, watching more carefully to avoid the spill— knowing Marina was an incurable clutz.

Shouldn’t have stood so close.

Should’ve.

Could’ve.

Would’ve.

All the things he wished he’d done differently ran through his mind with no other purpose except to torture him.

I’ve messed everything up. I’ve ruined everything. And Atreus…

It was only a second, but Nyel saw it. A step forward, Atreus coming to take his side. It warmed him, the feeling almost enough to drive away the raging panic in his chest.

Almost.